Can opener



Nov. 13, 1928.

F. DREYER GAN OPENER Filed Jan'.r 18. 1926 ous modifications `Patented Nov. 1 3, 192.8.

DREYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAN OPE-NER.

Application med Januazy 18,1926. semi No. 81,945.

The presentY invention relates'to improve- Vments 1n` can openers, and has particular reference to anovel can opener for removing the cover by cutting the side of the can.

rior' can openers used to cut thecover ofthe can leave jagged edges whichv are likel to cut thehand, leave the yend rim whic can, and cannot be moved continually in one direction, hence producing small chips which may fall into theV contents, and hindering the speed and easevof thecutting operation. This is true also of'canopeners of the above type having rotaryv knives since thelatter tend to come outof the metal 'and -`must therefore' be'moved back vand forth. The primaryob'eet of the present invention is to correct theseV difficultiesv by Vproviding `a new and improved can opener which removes the cover and the rim, in Which the knifeis heldsecurely in cutting position', and' `Which cuts continually. By cutting the side linstead ofthe cover ofthe can, th'e structure when partially cut does not become Weakened enough to retard the cuttingl operation.

Anotherob'ject is! to provide a novel can opener which is simple'V and inexpensivein construction and' which is easyto manipulate; l

.Further objects c ome apparent as and advantages Will beth'e description proceeds.

In .the accompa'nyin'g;l drawings', Figure 1- is a view showing a fragment of a can in sec' 151011 and al side elevationv of a can openelv.- @1

bodying the features of'myinvention in cut-4 ting position. i

Figure 2 is a fragmentary K View of' the lower side of'the can opener, thev knife being shown in inoperative position.

Fig. 3V is a, fragmentaryplan view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 1 -4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 5 of Figure 1.

While the invention is susceptible of 'varivand alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend vto cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

eferring more specically to the drawings7 I have shown part of an'ordinary can hinders emptying the contentsk of the` `bart) is lowered into having acylindrical Wall 6 and a cover or en'd `vva'll 7. These Walls are joined by-a seam forming' the usual end rim 8. V,The can opener comprises a supporting bar ory rodl 9 on which a carrier 10 supportiing a ksuitable lniie 11 isslidably mounted;

One end of the bar '9 vis'pro'vided with a handle 12, and the other end thereof is lbent at rigl'it-Y anglesl and formed with a sharp prongY 13 substantially parallel thereto. The

prong 13 is` adapted to be punched through the center 14 of the e'ndwallv of the can to provide a pivot for the bar' 9. When the position next to the end iif'all, the: prong 13 being in an offset plfane, Will underlie or hook beneath the Wall to maintain the pivot during the cuttingv operation. y f

The vcarrier 10` consists piece of sheet metal bent about the' bar 9', and is cut away near its forvvard'end as' i'ndicated at'15' in the top andorre side. A depending lug 16 is struck dovvnatl the for- Ward end of the under side of the carrier 10, and is adapted to it overt-he inside of the rim V8 of the can to correctly position the carrier relative thereto. The Vlug 16 is slightly curved to confor'mlapproximately to ward end of allever18. The latter is pivot'- ally mounted' on another stud or pin 19' at fthe under si'de' of p the'carrier 1'0. Warden'd of therlever'- 18 is stamped down- Ward'ly'at 20,' to positio'i'r` the knife lli'below ie carrier 10 rests on the the'rriin 8p vvh'en t from one' sidev of the for# latter. Struck .up

'Ward end of the lever 18 is astop lug 21..

This lug is adapted to engage one side of the bar 9 through the space eut in the carrier 10 at 15 to hold the cutter 11 `in cutting position directly beneath the carrier yduring the cutting operation. l Struck up from the rear end ofthe lever 18 and the side opposite the lug 21 is-'an arm 22 which is adapted to be actuated manually to pivot the cutter 11 into operative position. The pivot 19of the lever 18 is located at a distance from the lug 16 such that upon pivoting the cutter 11 into operative position, the latter Will draw said lug against the inside of the rim 8 and will preferably of a.

disk` having a sharp beveledt .Y periphery. Thisdi'sk is rotatably mounted on a stud or pin 17 depending from the for'- The for- Al lu bent to extend over the bar 9 when the cutter 11 is in operative position to prevent the latter from being forced downwardly away from the carrier 10.

The operation will be clear from the foregoing description, follows: With the bar 9 in a vertical position, the prong 13 is punched through the center 14 of the cover. The bar 9 is then lowered, thereby hooking the prong 13 beneath the cover 7, and positioning the bar across the rim 8. T he carrier 10 isV adjusted on the bar 9 to position the lug 16 over the rim 8. The arm E22 is now pressed toward the bar 9 to pivot the cutter 11 into operative position which is defined by the lug 21, thereby piercing the side of the can just below the rim 8. The bar 9 is then pivoted around the can in a direction tending to maintain the knife 11 in cutting position. A smooth .and continuous cut results. The cover is quickly removed without leaving a jagged edge and without forming Vchips which might drop into the food. The knife cannot leave the metal being cut since it is held in position by the Cutting resistance. Since the rim of the can is removed, vthe contents can be easily and completely removed. In general the rconstruction is simple, inexpensive, sturdy, and easyv to manipulate.

I claim as'my invention:

1.' A can opener having, in combination, a support `having a prong on one end adapted to pierce the center of the can cover and to hook underneath the cover when said support lies next tothe cover, a carrier slidably mounted on said support, a lug formed on said carrier and adapted to fit over theinside of the end rim, a rotary knife pivotally mounted on the yunderside, of said support, and means for holding said knife in cutting engagement with the side ofthe can.

2. A can opener having, in combination,V

a support having a pointed bent end, a carrier slidably mounted on said support and havinga depending lug adapted to it over the inside of the end rim of the can, a lever and briefly stated-is as.

, the outside of pivotally mounted on the underside of said carrier, a knife rotatably mounted on said lever adapted to be swunginto cutting engagement withthe outside of the can next to the rim, and means on said lever for holding said knife in cutting position.

3. A can opener having, in combination, an elongated supporting member, a carrier slidably mounted on said member, a depending lug on the end of said carrier for engaging the end rim of the can to limit the outward movement of said carrier on sai member, and a knife pivotally mounted on said carrier and adapted to be swung on said carrier into cutting engagement with the cylindrical wall of the can, said lug and said knife serving to hold saidV carrier in position during the cutting operation.

4. A can opener having, in combination, a rod having a bent pointed end adapted to engage the cover and act asa pivot when said rod lies next to the cover, a movable knife support on said rod, a lever on said support, a rotary knife ivotally mounted on said lever, a lug on sai lever for limiting the pivotal movement of said lever in one direction when said knife is in cutting engagement with the .side of the can, and means for holdingsaid support in position on said rod. Y

5. A can opener having, in combination, an elongated rod having a prong for engaging the can cover and acting as a pivot for 'said rod, a carrier `slidably mounted on said rod, alever on the underside of said carrier, a rotary knife on oneend of said lever, an actuating arm on the other end of said lever, a lug on said carrier for positioning the latter on saidrod relative to the end rim ofthe can, andan upstanding lug on said lever bent at its upper end to extend over said rod when said knife is in cutting position.- Y

n In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FREDERICK DREYER. 

